This continuing series features 4th year SCCO student, Daniel Brinchman, who is in his fourth rotation back home at MBKU’s University Eye Center.

by Daniel Brinchman, 4th year SCCO student

March 2014 Blog Entry Hello stranger, it’s been awhile. I know, I know; there’s some back-blogging I owe you from Tucson and from my rotation through a huge surgical practice in central Florida. You’ll get it! I’m just now getting settled into the last rotation back at school. After having the freedom of practicing out in the real world, things have come back full circle to where they started: Fullerton, CA. Rotating through the University Eye Center at SCCO means you are given the opportunity to see the more unique aspects of patient care at MBKU. In addition to the 3rd year assignments previously rotated through (primary care, contact lens, vision therapy), we are able to see patients in low vision, pediatrics, and ophthalmology among others. In just 3 months I’ll walk across the amphitheater stage, shake the presidents hand, and take the oath to become on optometrist. From time to time I consider how joining the optometry world has changed my life (besides the few gray hairs). One of my favorite things about the profession is how it affords and encourages the ability to travel all over the United States and internationally. The following list is places that I have visited directly as a result of being associated with optometry:

“One of my favorite things about the profession is how it affords and encourages the ability to travel all over the United States and internationally. “

Los Angeles, CA

Lawton, OK

Charlotte, NC

San Francisco, CA

Memphis TN

Chapel Hill, NC

Sacramento, CA

Grand Canyon, AZ

Mount Dora, FL

Santa Barbara, CA

Tucson, AZ

The Villages, FL

Pismo Beach, CA

Phoenix, AZ

Gainesville, FL

Indian Wells / Palm Springs, CA

Las Vegas, NV

Orlando, FL

Salt Lake City, UT

Austin, TX

Miami, FL

Chicago, IL

Wichita Falls TX

Daytona, FL

New York City, NY

Dallas, TX

The Bahamas

Washington DC

Boston, MA

El Salvador

Oklahoma City, OK

Philadelphia, PA

Is this because I’m a natural traveler? No! I believe that the skills optometrists acquire in school are so treasured and useful to people that it is an inevitable side effect that we travel to distribute and exchange information. Once you get started in school here, you’ll experience and love it too. Here are photos from some of my travels:

“Enjoying a San Diego Sunset at Optometry’s Meeting 2013”

“Rocky! In front of the steps in Philadelphia Sylvester Stallone made famous.”

“This is how they move cactus in Arizona!”

“Exploring University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus while on rotations.”

“Sunsets in Lake County Florida were unbeatable.”

“South Beach Miami just like Tony Montana.”

“A hotel passed by deep in New Mexico while driving across country for rotations. It looks like this picture is out of the past doesn’t it?”

“Suited up with a classmate for one of the Shared Visions Gala. Partially/totally blind artist submitted work benefiting the expansion of academics at MBKU.”

“Wall art in Phoenix.”

“I’m performing a trial frame refraction on a patient in El Salvador. We saw nearly 18 patients over 5 days in rural villages.”

“Continuing education retreat in Indian Wells, CA.”

“Taking a break from studies to jump over to Catalina Island, not too far from school.”

“Immediately following the final talent show performance of my optometry school band: ‘The Cobalt Blues.'”

“Annual event held in Long Beach – Grand Prix!”

“View across the Grand Canyon visited while traveling through for rotations.”

“Carlsbad Caverns also visited while traveling by on rotations.”

“Dale Chihuly glass art exhibit in the museum of modern art in Oklahoma City.”